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MILAN \V. HALL, OF PLAINFIELD, NEWV JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO THE I'IALL STEAM PUMP COMPANY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

ENGINE-CYLINDER LUBRICATOR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 33%,860, dated January 26,1886.

Application filed June 11, 1885.

- T aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, 1VIILAN W. HALL, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Plainfield, in the county of Union and State 5 of New Jersey, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Engine-Cylinder Lubricators, of which the following is a specification.

Prior to myinvention automatic lubricators IO for feeding oil to the valves and cylinders of steam-engines and other analogous machines have been chiefly of two classesnamel y, those wherein the oil is fed into the steam-pipe or valve-chest by the difference in specific gravity between oil and steam, or between water and oil, and those wherein the oil is fed by the difference in the areas of two pistons against the larger of which the steam presses and the smaller of which presses against the body of oil.

My invention is an improvement upon the latter class of lubricators.

In my improved lubricator a cylinder is provided in which works a piston. The steam is admitted to one side of this piston and the oil is confined on the opposite side thereof, the latter side being reduced in area by means of a stem or piston'rod which passes out through a stuifing-box. From the oil-chamher the oil escapes by a nozzle controlled by a valve, and falls in drops through a vertical glass tube, or past a transparent window, by which a sight-feed "is secured, and is thence conducted into the steam-pipe or steam-chest or other part to which the lnbricator is connected.

Figure 1 of the accompanying drawings is a side elevation of my improved lubricator, partly in vertical section. Fig. 2 is a vertical o transverse mid-section thereof. Fig. 3 is a plan thereof, partly in horizontal section on Serial No. 168,343. (No model.)

head E, the latter being provided with a stuffingbox, to prevent leakage.

On top of the head E is a cup, G, which extends upwardly and incloses thestem F. The lower portion or chamber, G, of the cylinder A communicates with a steam-passage,

H, in a neck or stem which extends down ward, and is adapted to be connected to a steam-pipe or steam-chest or other part, as desired. This passageis controlled by avalve, I, as usual, so that by closing this valve the steam may be shut off from the chamber 0. A valve or relief-cock, J, is connected with the lower part of the chamber 0, preferably by entering the passage H above the valve I.

From the upper part of the oil-chamber D an oil-passage, d, extends to one side, and passes downward through a nozzle, 0, and a glass tube, b, and extends thence to the lower part of the chamber 0, as clearly shown in Fig. 2. Its passage through the nozzle 0 is controlled by a valve, K, as usual. It will be observed that the chamber. D is annular, eX- tending around the stem F, and that the upper side of the piston B has a less area of surface than its under side, the difference equaling the area of cross-section of the stem. When steam is turned on by opening the valve I, it presses upwardly on the under side of piston B, and, passing around through the passage d, presses downwardly on the upper side of the piston with the same pressure per square inch; but as the area of the upper side is reduced the total downward pressure is less than the total upward pressure, and the difference in pressure less the friction is effective to force the piston upward. This difference may be made greater or less, as desired, by making the stem of greater or less diameter.

Assuming that the chamber D is filled with oil and that the steam is turned on, the pressure of steam beneath the piston acts to force the oil through the passage d against the opposing pressure of steam in that passage and 5 cause it to drip from the nozzle 0. The oil then flows through the lower part of the passage d onto the bottom of the chamber 0, and thence down the passage H. The drops of oil can be seen through the glass tube 12, and the flow regulated by the valve K, all as usual. As the oil is thus fed out, the piston B gradually rises, until finally it strikes the head E, and can move no farther, having expelled all the oil 'from chamber D. It then becomes necessary to refill the chamber. For this purpose the stem F is made hollow or tubular, with open top, as shown, and near its bottom end it is pierced with holes a a, which are arranged just above the top of the piston, and which consequently enter the chamber D. In the tubular stem, just above these holes, is formed a partition, f, in which are perforations 6 e, and a check-valve, L, is arranged beneath the partition and adapted to close upward against these perforations. This valve is fixed to a stem or rod, N, which extends up through the tubular stem F, being guided therein, and terminates considerably above the upper end thereof, where it preferably bears a knob or cap, M. The stem N is pressed upward by a spring, 9, which thus draws the valve L to its seat.

The operation of filling the oil-chamber is as follows: The valve I is first closed to cut off the steam from the chamber. 0, and the cock J is then opened to relieve the pressure beneath the piston. The valve K must also be closed. Oil is then poured into the hollow of the stem F until it overflows and fills also the cup G. Then by pressing down the knob M the valve L is depressed and unseated, as shown in Fig. 4, and a clear passage is formed from the interior of the stem F into the cham ber D. On continuing to depress the knob M the valve L strikes the piston B and forces the latter downward in the cylinder A. During this movement the piston acts as a pump and draws the oil from the interior of the stem down into the chamber D. The cup G and stem F are so proportioned relatively to the size of the cylinder and the stroke of the piston that the last of the oil is drawn down into the chamber just as the piston strikes the bottom of the cylinder. ()n releasing the knob M the valve L closes, and the oil is confined in the chamber D. It is then only necessary to close the cock J and open the valves I and K to set the lubricator at work again. The whole operation is very quickly done, and is more convenient and expeditious than the refilling of any other cylinder-lubricator with which I am familiar.

The details of construction are of but. little consequence, provided a correct operation is insured. It is highly important that the piston should have a packing sufficiently tight to prevent any material leakage of oil around it, as. that would detract from the advantage and economy of the device. I prefer to use ring-packing, that shown consisting of two open rings, '5 and j, confined between two flanges, m and n, on the piston, and pressed outward by an inner ring, is. The flange m is formed on the piston, while a is formed as a separate, ring which screws onto the piston. The stuffing-box P in the head E may also be of any suitable construction; but for this also I prefer a ring-packing. The construction shown consists of two open rings, t" j, confined in place by a flange, a, and pressed toward the stem F by a ring, k.

My improved lubricator has the important advantage over all lubricators of the class wherein the oil is fed by the'pressure of a column of water of condensation beneath it that the oilis forced out positively under considerable pressure, so that its movement is always assured, and is uniformly under the control of the regulating-valve. It has also the advantage that there is no internal feed or leakage of oil, which in many other lubricators frequently takes place without the knowledge of the operator,who can rely only on the indication afi'orded by the sight-feed. He may have the sight-feed adjusted to deliver only one or two drops a minute, while the oiler may be feeding internally,perhaps, six or eight drops, or more, per minute,which is a waste of oil. With my improved lubricator there is no internal feed whatever, since if the piston-packing is properly constructed the leakage need not exceed one drop perhour.

My improved lubricator has also the advantage over any other constructed on the forcedfeed differential-piston principle that its construction is much simpler, that there is but one steam-connection, and that the operation of refilling the oil-chamber is more convenient and expeditious.

I have shown the cup G as constructed in one piece with the head E; but this is not essential. The cup may even be wholly omitted without material detriment to the device. Its functions are, to hold any oil that may leak through the stuffing-box, andto contain part of the oil that is to be filled into the oil-chamber, In case of the omission of the cup, the stem F should be prolonged sufficiently to have itself the capacity to hold one charge of oil.

It is not essential to my invention that the cylinder and piston be arranged with a vertical axis, as the axis might be inclined to any degree, or arranged horizontally, or the cylinder and piston might even be inverted, the parts being in each case correspondingly formed to render the device operative.

- Any of the known constructions of sightfeed may be used with my invention. Sight-- feeds as now used are of two classesthe downfeed, wherein the drop of oil falls downward through a space filled with steam, and the upfeed, wherein the drop passes upward through a space filled with water of condensation. I have shown the downfeed, which I prefer; but the upfeed may be. applied instead. The drops of oil may pass through a glass tube, as shown, or a small window may be arranged, through which they may be seen.

The stem N and handle M may be omitted, leaving the valve L a simple check-valve.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The combination, to form a lubricator, of a cylinder, a piston dividing the cylinder into a steam-chamber on one side and an oil-chamber on the other, a stem attached to the piston on the oil-chamber side and passing out through the cylinder-head, whereby this side of the piston is reduced in area, a steam-inlet to the steam-chamber, an oil-passage extending from the oil-chamber and communicating with the said steam-inlet, a valve for controlling the feed of oil through said passage, and a valve in said steam-inlet arranged and adapted to cut off the steam-pressure from both chambers, substantially as set forth.

2. The combination,'to form a lubricator, of a cylinder, a piston dividing the cylinder into a steam-chamber on one side and an oil-chamber on the other, a stem attached to the piston on the oil chamber side and passing out through the cylinder-head, whereby this side of the piston is reduced in area, a steam-inlet to the steam-chamber, a valve controlling said steam-inlet, a sight-feed oil-passage extending from said oil chamber and communicating with said steam-inlet above said valve, and a valve for controlling the feed of oil through said passage, substantially as set forth.

3. The combination, to form a lubricator, of a cylinder, a piston dividing the cylinder into a steam-chamber on one side and an oil-chamber on the other, a stem attach ed to the piston on the oil a chamber side and passing out through the cylinder-head, whereby this side of the piston is reduced in area, a valved steaminlet to the steam-chamber, a relief-cock for the steam'chamber, a valved oil-feed passage extending from the oilchamber and communicating with said steam-inlet, an oil-suction passage leading from outside the cylinder and entering the oil-chamber, and a check-valve in said passage opening inwardly and closing outwardly, substantially as set forth.

4. The combination, to form a lubricator, of a cylinder, a piston dividing the cylinder into a steam-chamber on one side and an oil-chain ber on the other, a stem attached to the piston on the oil chamber side and passing out through the cylinder-head, whereby this side of the piston is reduced in area, a valved steaminlet to the steam'chamber, a valved oil-feed passage extending from the oil-chamber, an oil suction. passage extending through said stem and entering the oil-chamber, an oil-cup outside the cylinder, with which said suctionpassage communicates, and a valve controlling said passage, substantially as set forth.

5. The combination of a cylinder, a piston dividing the same into a steam-chamber on one side and an oil-chamber on the other, a tubular stem attached to the piston on the oilchamber side and passing out through one end of the cylinder, an opening through said stem affording communication between its interior and the oil-chamber, and a check-valve in connection therewith adapted to prevent an outflow of oil from the chamber, but to permit an inflow thereto, with a valved steam-inlet to the steam-chamber and a valved oil-feed outlet from the oil-chamber, substantially as set forth.

6. The combination of a cylinder, a piston dividing the same into a steam-chamber on one side and an oil-chamber on the other, a tubular stem attached to the piston on the oilchamber side and passing out through one end of the cylinder, an opening through said stem affording communication between its interior and the oil-chamber, a valve in said tubular stem adapted, when seated, to prevent an outflow of oil from the oil-chamber, and a stem or rod connected to said valve and extending out through the tubular stem, whereby by a manipulation of said rod the valve may be opened, with a valved steaininlet to the steamcha'mber and a valved oil-feed outlet from the oil-chamber, substantially as set forth.

7. The combination of a vertical cylinder, a piston therein dividing it into a steam-chamber below and an oil-chamber above, a tubular stem connected to the piston, and extending upward therefrom and out through the top of the cylinder, a steam-inlet entering said cylinder at the bottom, a valved oil-feed outlet extending from the top thereof, an opening from the interior of the hollow stem into the oil-chamber, a valve controlling said opening, and a cup arranged above the cylinder and inclosing said tubular stem, substantially as set forth.

In witness whereof I have hereunto signed my name in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

MILAN WV. HALL.

\Vitnesses:

ARTHUR C. FRASER, Gno. BAINTON. 

